Theories of Managerial Action and their Impact on the Conceptualization of Executive Careers

Abstract

Abstract In this chapter I intend to show how the diffusion of new organizational forms makes theories of action a fruitful perspective to address the challenges presented by the careers of executives in contemporary organizations. The chapter has affinities with Weick’s (1996) argument that trends towards the softening and fragmentation of organizational structures favor the impact on social systems of enactment attempts by career actors. In other words, in the absence or lesser salience of external cues provided by strong, hierarchical structures, such as clear lines of command or detailed instructions for performance, actors such as managers ought to rely more on internal guides. Psychological dispositions will be more important than external organizationall scripts.